EIGHT men have been arrested over allegations of illegal working at a restaurant in Rusholme.

Immigration officers swooped on Lal Qila Restaurant and Takeaway as part of a Manchester-wide crackdown.

Officers from the UK Border Agency raided the restaurant, on Wilmslow Road, on Sunday evening, acting on intelligence.

Two Afghani men, five Pakistanis and one Bangladeshi men were arrested. Two of the men have been released on bail, while the remaining six have been detained while enquiries continue.

A further two men found working illegally were escorted from the premises; one Afghani with an outstanding asylum claim, and one Iranian who was placed on immigration bail.

The employer now has 28 days to provide the UK Border Agency with evidence that the correct right-to-work checks were carried out or face a fine of up to £10,000 per illegal worker, meaning potential fines of £100,000.

Regional director of the UK Border Agency in the north west, Jo Liddy, said: "These arrests are part of an ongoing clamp down on illegal working in Manchester to reduce the attractiveness of the UK to illegal immigrants.

"Anyone in Manchester who takes on a foreign national without permission to work in the UK is breaking the law, undermining law abiding businesses and faces a big fine.

"There are strict rules about which foreign nationals can get a job in the UK and businesses have a clear responsibility to carry out the right checks."